Seven Books and a Letter
by hollyshortislep
Summary: After the war, after Harry and Ginny are married, Harry sends the seven Harry Potter books and a letter back in time. Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Lily Potter and James Potter get together to read the books. Can they change the future or will it stay the same?
1. Getting the Books

Severus Snape apparated to Godric's Hollow and ran to knock on the door of Lily and James Potter's house. Of course the door was opened by Sirius Black.

"HOW DID YOU GET HERE AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" yelled Sirius Black as he pulled out his wand.

"Mr. Black I suggest that you stop waving around your wand, someone might get hurt. If you asked your host you would find that I am expected." Replied Severus coldly.

"Sirius let him in. We told him we could come," said Lily coming into the room, turning to Severus, "come in Sev."

"Thank you Li…"

"What's going on?" asked Remus coming into the room, "What is he doing here?" he asked went he say Severus.

"He's here because I told him he could come, and because he said he had something to show us," answered Lily, "Now I suggest we go back to the living room and find out what all this is about."

They all moved back into the living room and sat down.

"Why are you here Snape?" asked James with just a hint of coldness in his voice.

"I found these on my door step this morning," replied Severus placing a stack of seven books on the coffee table. James started to reach for the first book.

"Wait," said Severus.

"Wait? Wait?! You come to MY house with a pile of stupid books and then tell me to wait?!" cried James.

"Yes wait, before you look at the books I want you to know two things, first these books are from the future, and second they're about Harry," said Severus.

"Harry?" asked Lily weakly, "as in our son Harry Potter?"

"Yes, it seems so. This note was with the books '_To Lily Potter, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape, My name is Harry James Potter, with me are Ginny Weasley Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger Weasley. We decided to send these books back in time and hopefully change some of the events in your near future. We wanted to bring the books ourselves but thought it would be too dangerous so we just sent the books. One thing, DO NOT jump to conclusions, if you do you could ruin everything. I hate to tell you this but it my time all of you are dead'"_ This sentence was smudged as if Harry had been crying. "_'When you read these books you'll probably want to kill some people, but please don't. I sure hope it's not near a full moon, Moony. I love all of you,_

_Your son, godson, student, and friend,_

_Harry James Potter'"_

"All of us are dead?" asked James weakly, "but wait are we all dead at the beginning of the books or do we die in the books?"

"I don't know. I hope that we die in the books, not that I want to die but I think you know what I mean," replied Lily.

"What conclusions will we want to jump to, and who will we probably want to kill?" asked Sirius.

"Severus, please start reading," said Remus.

Severus picked up the first book and started reading, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.


	2. The Boy Who Lived

_Everything in bold is NOT mine it belongs to J. K. Rowling. So far all the characters belong to her, I am just putting my twist on them :)_

**THE BOY WHO LIVED **"Do you think that's Harry?" asked Sirius

"I don't know. Shush," replied Lily.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, **"Why is it talking about them?" asked Sirius.

"We'll probably find out. Now Shush!" **of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, **"I doubt that"

"Sirius, SHUT UP!" **thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. **"I bet there opinion is wrong," said James

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. **"That's us isn't it?" asked James.** They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **Lily sighed.** Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,**

**but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, **James frowned as his wife sighed again.** because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband **"I object, he makes a good seat, and a good…" Sirius trailed off when he saw Lily's warning look.** were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that. "**Like what?! Harry is a great kid!" exclaimed Remus.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. "**Of course they didn't."

"Sirius shut it," said Lily

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. **"Ok I feel sorry for them."

"Lily, how could you?" asked Sirius

"**Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map. **"Why would that be unusual?"

"Sirius…"

"Yes ma'am."

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.** "Yes anytime you think a cat is reading a map it MUST be a trick of the light... continue reading," said Sirius** Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no, ****_looking _****at the sign; cats couldn't read maps ****_or _****signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. **

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.** "Do I jump out and kill him?" asked Sirius. EVERYONE laughed at that.** As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. **"Why are they being so careless?" asked Remus **Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt —these people were obviously collecting for something…yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. **"Ok I might have to find out his seceret for forgeting things you don't want to remember," said James

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. ****_He _****didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning.** "A morning isn't normal without a few owls," said Sirius** He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. **"Yes stretching your legs will turn you mood very sour," said Remus.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The Potters, **"Why are they talking about us?" asked James.** that's right, that's what I heard —"**

"—**yes, their son, Harry —"**

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. **"Yah that was probably a good idea," said Sirius who missed the warning look from Lily.

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking…no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew****_was_****called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey **"Like the 6-foot invisible rabbit?" said Sirius "Ok I'm shutting up now" he said catching Lily's look**. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if ****_he'd _****had a sister like that…** "What would he have done?" asked James.** but all the same, those people in cloaks…**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"**Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir,** "He's not a dear sir," said Sirius.** for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! **"Gone?" asked James, and Sirius

"I hate to say but I kind of doubt it," replied Remus, Lily nodded. **Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. **"I feel so sorry for him. He doesn't know what he's missing."

"Again, Lily, how could you?"

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

"**Shoo!" **"I don't think what will work," said Remus.

"Why not?" asked Sirius. **said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").** "Well I guess he had to learn sometime," said James sadly.** Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

"**_And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls _**"Really? Showers of owls?" asked Sirius, James chuckled.**_ tonight, Jim?"_**

"**_Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! _** _**Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**_

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?" **"I should think not!" exclaimed Lily indignantly

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

"**No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

"**Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls…shooting stars…and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…"**

"**_So?_****" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

"**Well, I just thought…maybe…it was something to do with…you know…****_her_****crowd." **"Oh yes it probably is my crowed." Said Lily proudly

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

"**What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"**Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me." **"I didn't ask you, and at least he's not named Dudley Dursley!" exclaimed Lily

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. **"Maybe it is," said Remus

**Was he imagining things? **"Vernon Dursley imagining thing? What has the world come to?" asked Lily.** Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did…if it got out that they were related to a pair of**"A pair of what?!" asked Sirius.** — well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters ****_were _****involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind…**"Yes we do," said Lily**. He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect ****_them_****…**

**How very wrong he was. **"That doesn't sound good," said James. Lily nodded in agreement.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. **"It's probably used to owls," said Remus.** In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. **

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. **"Why is Dumbledore there?" asked Sirius.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." **"Ohh, that's Professor McGonagall," said Sirius.

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. **"What's that?" asked Sirius

**Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, **"A Put-Outer, of course," said Sirius," What's a Put-Outer?"** until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

"**Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman "That's mostly just for appearances," said Sirius.**

**"Don't let her hear that," replied Remus. who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

"**How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," **"All day," said Sirius making a sad face.** said Professor McGonagall.**

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."** "Stupid people," Said Lily

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"**Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls…shooting stars…Well, they're not completely stupid. **"Some of them are," said Sirius. **They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really****_has_****gone, Dumbledore?"**

"**It certainly seems so," **"Really?" asked Remus** said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?" **"Yes!" exclaimed Sirius.

"**A ****_what_****?"**

"**A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who ****_has _****gone —"**

"**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: ****_Voldemort_****." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' **"Yes it really does." said Sirius.** I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name." **"Me nether," Said Lily and James.

"**I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, ****_Voldemort_****, was frightened of."**

"**You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

"**Only because you're too — well —****_noble _****to use them."**

"**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **"EARMUFFS!" exclaimed Sirius loudly.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said "The owls are nothing next to the ****_rumors _****that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" **"I have a feeling we're not going to like this," said James.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

"**What they're ****_saying_****," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. **"I'm really not liking this."** He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're —****_dead_****." **Severus choked on this line. "Voldemort killed us?" asked lily holding back tears, "what about Harry?"

"He can't be dead or there wouldn't be books about him, so he would go to Sirius, right?" asked James, "Right?!"

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

"**Lily and James…I can't believe it…I didn't want to believe it…Oh, Albus…"**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know…I know…" he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone." **"Harry killed Voldemort? Our son? How? Asked Lily

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

"**It's — it's ****_true_****?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done…all the people he's killed…he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding…of all the things to stop him…but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?" **"That what I want to know," said Remus

"**We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles.**

**Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. **"That watch has never made sence to me," said Remus.** It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"**Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me ****_why _****you're here, of all places?"**

"**I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. **"NO! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL MY SON IS GOING TO LIVE WITH THOSE IDIOTS!" screamed Lily.

"We were sent these books so we could change these things, and we will change them, but we have to read the books," said James soothingly.** They're the only family he has left now."**

"**You don't mean – you ****_can't _****mean the people who live ****_here_****?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. **"Thank you!" exclaimed Lily.** "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. **"I thought he was probably having a bad morning, but now I see he's just a spoiled brat!" exclaimed Lily.** Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"**It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. **"I kind of doubt that," said James** I've written them a letter."**

"**A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day **"I actually doubt that," said Remus.** in the future — there will be books written about Harry **"we have them right here," said Sirius. **— every child in our world will know his name!"**

"**Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. **"NOOOOOO!" cried Sirius.** But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"**Hagrid's bringing him."**

"**You think it —****_wise_****— to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?" **"Yes," said Lily.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," **"Me too!" exclaimed James.** said Dumbledore.**

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. **"Oh good there I am. Did they think I wouldn't take him?" asked Sirius.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. **"I don't think that's you," said James.** He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so ****_wild_****— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. **"No, that's not me, where am I and why does Hagrid have my motorcycle?" asked Sirius.** In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

"**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. **"Why the hell did I do that?" asked Sirius** I've got him, sir."**

"**No problems, were there?"**

"**No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"**Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." **"Poor baby," said Lily.

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

"**Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog. **"Poor Hagrid!" exclaimed Lily.

"Poor Hagrid? Poor Harry!" said Sirius

"**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —"**

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

"**Good luck, Harry," **"I think he's going to need more then luck," said Sirius, "he'll need magic."** he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream **Lily shuddered.** as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley **"stupid Dudley," said Sirius. **…He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

"That's the end of the chapter," said Severus.

"Where is Harry anyway?" asked Sirius. Just then Harry started crying from his room; Lily jumped up to go get him. When she came back she was holding a very sleepy Harry in her arms. When Harry looked around the room his eyes lit up "Siwi! Weems!" he exclaimed holding out his arms the Sirius and Remus. Sirius jumped up, grabbed Harry and swung him around; soon they were both laughing madly. When Sirius finally sat down Harry look around the room again, seeing Severus he pointed and asked "who dat?"

"That's one of my friends from school," said Lily picking harry up and taking him over to Severus, "Harry this is Severus, Sev this is Harry."

"Hello Harry nice to meet you," said Severus.

"Hi Sefuf," said Harry

"Well Harry, go you want to go get some food?" asked Lily

"Yef!" replied Harry.

"I'll be right back, do NOT kill each other while I'm gone!" said Lily heading to the kitchen to find something for Harry to eat.

"I wasn't planning to kill anyone," said Sirius.

"So Snape how exactly did the books appear?" asked Remus

"Well when I opened the door and stepped outside I tripped over them," replied Severus

"You tripped over them," said Sirius laughing, "You can't even see what's in front of your nose."

"Sirius!" said James sharply, seeing the dangerous look on Severus' face.

"What?! It's true Snivellus can't see what's right in front of him nose."

"Well at least I'm not my best friend's guard dog," said Severus.

Sirius changed to dog form and charged at Severus.

_Thanks for reading!_

_PurplePizzaPancake_

**_Xandra_**


	3. The Vanishing Glass

_Anything you reconize does Not belong to me they belong to J. K. Rowling. _

Lily heard yelping, and screaming coming from the living room putting Harry in the high-chair she rushed into the living room and was met with a very funny yet disturbing sight. Severus had his wand out and was using a shield charm to make a shield around himself, Sirius was lying on the ground in dog form, James was sitting on Sirius, and Remus trying to talk Sirius into turning back to human form. Lily stood in the doorway for a second, and then burst out laughing. Four heads turned to face her.

"What in the world happened?" she asked, "I was only gone for about five seconds!"

"Severus was telling us about how he found the books. Apparently he tripped over them, Sirius started making fun of him, Severus called Sirius a guard dog, and Sirius tried to attack Severus," explained Remus.

"Well then Sirius, and Severus are both idiots," said Lily sitting down. "Sirius I suggest you turn back to human form."

Sirius turned back to human form, "Dude get off of me you weigh more than a ton," complained Sirius.

"But you make such a great seat," replied James getting up.

"Mama? Dada? I hugwe!" called Harry from the kitchen.

"James maybe you should go get Harry his breakfast," said Lily.

James fed Harry and brought him into the living room. Harry held out his arms to Remus, and soon he had fallen asleep again.

**CHAPTER TWO**

**THE VANISHING GLASS **"Great, they won't care if he can't help doing accidental magic," said Severus in disgust.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step **"Sirius Black how could you leave my son with them for one second, let alone ten freaking years!" exclaimed James.

"I don't know, I don't know," said Sirius sounding miserable. **, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursley's front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, **"Really?! I thought that over ten years Dudley would stay a baby," said Sirius.** and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, **"I am surprised it could support his weight," said Sirius.** playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. **"Why would there be I mean he's just your nephew nothing important!" exclaimed Lily

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"**Up! Get up! Now!"**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

"**Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. **"Do you think he remembers Hagrid?" asked Sirius.** He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

"**Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"**Nearly," said Harry.**

"**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." **"Bet they don't care if Harry's birthday is perfect," said Sirius.

"No they probably don't, but like I said earlier Harry is just their nephew, nothing important!" said Lily rudely

**Harry groaned.**

"**What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"**Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept. **"Please tell me that you did not just read that my son slept in the cupboard under the stairs!" said James angrily.

"They are so so so so so dead!" exclaimed Sirius

"No! Letter Harry said don't kill anyone so let's not kill anyone, ok?" said Lily

"Ok."

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry **"Of course," said Sirius**, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses **"they got him glasses? I mean I'm glad but I just can't believe it!" said Remus.** held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. **"Can I at least punch them in the face?" asked Sirius.

"Sure, but not right now," replied James

**The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

"**In the car crash when your parents died," **"Car crash, really?!" asked Remus** she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

**_Don't ask questions _****— that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

"**Comb your hair!" **"Not going to work!" said Sirius** he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. **Sirius, James, and Remus all started laughing hysterically,

"Do you remember?"

"He looked so funny."

"Waf unny?" asked Harry, still very much asleep.

"We put a wig on a pig once," said Sirius.

"You put the wig on the pig, we told you not to," said Remus.

"Waf pig?"

"Go back to sleep," said James.

"Nigh nigh," said Harry, lying down on the floor.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year." **"Poor baby, he will be scarred for life!" said Sirius sarcastically.

"**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another ****_two _****presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? ****_Two _****more presents. Is that all right?"**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty…thirty…" **"Thirty-nine, stupid idiot!" said Sirius.

"Shushhhhh," said James, "Harry is sleeping!"

"**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. **"That's what you said, just a little different," said Remus.

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's "**Mrs. Figg, like Arabella Figg?" asked Sirius.** broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. ** "I think it might be," said James.

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again. **"Ok yes it definitely Arabella," said Remus

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"**

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"**You could just leave me here," **"Oh come on, don't say that now they'll never do it," said Sirius.** Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. **"That's not unusual… Sorry Lily," said Severus.

"I don't care, insult her as much," said Lily. Sirius opened his mouth to say something, "Shut up Sirius,"

"Ok."

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "…and leave him in the car…"**

"**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…" **"As if he would hurt the car," said James

**Dudley began to cry loudly. **"If that boy is really crying I'm a donkey," said Sirius.

"Unfortunately that means he must actually be crying," said James** In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted. **"See he wasn't crying and I'm not a donkey," said Sirius.

"**Dinky Duddydums, **"What?!" exclaimed Sirius laughing.

"Shushhh," said James. **don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

"**I…don't…want…him…t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. **"Of course, can't let his little friend see him cry can he?" asked Severus.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, **"Ok Severus I'll admit you were right this time," said Sirius sadly.** anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." **"The scar can't be that bad," said James.** Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he ****_couldn't _****explain how it had grown back so quickly. **"Yes but see she could explain it, and didn't like the explanation," said Sirius

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). **"Bleh, I'm going to go barf," said James.** The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. **"Yes that is the most reasonable explanation," said Remus

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"…**roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying." **"Harry, that wasn't a good idea," said James

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache **"Mama I wanna beet wif a mufaf!" said Harry sleepily.

"I think in this case you're wrong, I don't think a beet with a mustache would be very nice," said James

"Yef if ood!"

"Ok we will try to get you one, but right now we need to read this book, do you want to listen?"

"Yef?"**: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" **"YEF VEY FOO!" said Harry

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. **"I'm sure they do," said Sirius.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond. **Remus and Sirius burst out laughing.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, **"Stupid boy," said Severus.** Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last. **"I'm going to guess that some glass is going to vanish," said Sirius.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, **"Please tell me that that's not the glass that's going to vanish," groaned Lily.** staring at the glistening brown coils.**

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

"**Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, **"No It's not, the snake doesn't have to cook, or clean he just lies there sleeping!" exclaimed James.

"How do you know that it doesn't have to work?" asked Sirius.

"Stop being stupid"

"I am not being stupid I never do stupid things,"

"ha ha, now shut up!" said Lily.** where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**_It winked. _**"Crap, crap, crap!" said James.

"What?!" asked Sirius

"Lily keep reading, please," said James

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

"**_I get that all the time."_** "Umm, really?" asked Remus.

"**I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

"**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?" **"That could be bad," said Severus.

"What?!" asked Sirius

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. **"JERK!"** Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. **"Sometimes I hate being right," said Lily** The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, ****_"Brazil, here I come…Thanksss, amigo." _** "Crap!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Now he gets it," said Lily.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" **"Where does stuff go when in disappears?" asked Sirius.

"I still have the same answer, I don't know," said James.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?" **"He just HAD to say that didn't he?" asked Sirius.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. **"Steal Dudley's, he won't care," said Sirius. ** He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, **"Why didn't I go get him?" asked Sirius sadly.** as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. **"He doesn't even know what we look like?" asked James.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. **"James why couldn't you have a brother?" asked Sirius.** Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat **"Violet top hat, who in the world would wear a violet top hat?" asked James **had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **"Of course they did, poor boy," said Remus

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang. **"I would like to disagree with Dudley's gang," said Sirius.

"That's the end of the chapter," said Lily putting down the book.

"Siwi wiw o pay wif mee?" asked Harry.

"How about later?" asked Sirius.

"Ook I goo pay mysef," said Harry running to him room.

"Let's keep reading," said James picking up the books, "Chapter Three."

_I will try not to but at some point I might forget to have Harry in a chapter for a while, if I do PLEASE tell me. I love baby Harry : )_

PurplePizzaPancake

_**Xandra**_


	4. Letters From No One

_All the writing in bold is __**NOT**__ mine, it belongs to J. K. Rowling._

**LETTERS FROM NO ONE**

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays **"How dare they leave him there that long?" asked Lily, "and why did none of him teachers come to find out what happened to him?"

"I don't know but those Dursleys have some explaining to do," said James.

**" had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches. **"I bet he still gets to ride it," said Remus

"Really? I would have thought that it would have been taken away from him," said Sirius VERY sarcastically.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. **"Yep that's usually how it works," said Sirius.** The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting. **"I think we should introduce them to Dudley's gang hunting. Wizard style!" exclaimed a VVEERRYY mad Lily.

"I love that idea!" said Sirius.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school **"I wouldn't really call Hogwarts a secondary school," said Sirius.

"Have you forgotten that Harry doesn't know about magic yet?" asked Severus.** and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. **"YAY!"** Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. **"Isn't a smelt a kind of fish?" asked Sirius.

"Yes," said Lily and Remus** Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," **"And he knows this how?" asked Sirius.** he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick." **"Good one Harry!" said James** Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said. **"He didn't have to run very fast," said Sirius, "It probably took Dumb-dud a few hours at least."

"Dumb-dud?" asked Lily

"Yes, Dumb-dud, I can make up insulting nicknames for him, can't I?"

"Yes, please feel free to."

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. **"THE WORLD IS ENDING!" yelled Sirius, "those cats are her pride and joy!"** She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years. **"That poor cake," said Sirius, "I mean she gives him some cake and what does he do? He insults it."

"Why are you talking about the cake as if it were alive?" asked Remus.

"I have no idea at all."

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. **"Could they have picked worse colors?" asked Lily, "No don't answer, I know there are worse combinations, but it's still really bad." **They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. **"That's stupid, I mean if the teachers know they have the sticks why hide the fact that they hit each other?" asked Sirius** This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. **"That guy has had a terrible life," said Lily** Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. **"Everyone started laughing, even Severus.** Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh. **Sirius and James fell on the floor laughing.

"I oo on du foor?" asked Harry, toddling into the room.

"We're just um, taking a break?" said Sirius, a little questioningly.

"Me foo!" exclaimed Harry lying down.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water. **"Gross!" exclaimed three voices

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question. **"You asked plenty of questions," said Lily

**"Your new school uniform," she said.**

"A bit to wet, don't you think?" asked Sirius

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

**"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

"Awesome!" exclaimed Sirius

**"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished." **"I doubt that," said Lily

**Harry seriously doubted this, **"Good work Lily!" said Sirius** but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably. **"Dada, an I of un ewetent?" asked Harry.

"Maybe later," said James, not really paying attention.

"James, did you just tell Harry he could have an elephant?" asked Lily trying not to laugh.

"Errm, did I?" asked James.

"Yes, but please keep reading."

"Ok."

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the mail, Dudley," **"WHAT?!"** said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

**"Make Harry get it."**

**"Get the mail, Harry."**

**"Make Dudley get it."**

**"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley." **"NOOOOOOO!" exclaimed Sirius

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and — ****_a letter for Harry_****. **"YAYYYYYYY!" cried four voices.

"Ut apened?" asked Harry.

"Nothing," said Lily

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? **"Hogwarts!" exclaimed James and Sirius. **He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

**_Mr. H. Potter_**

**_The Cupboard under the Stairs _**"I've always wondered, how are the letters addressed so accurately?" asked Sirius.

"Um… Magic… Duh!" said James.

"Oh, right, I knew that," said Sirius sheepishly.

**_4 Privet Drive_**

**_Little Whinging_**

**_Surrey_**

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter ****_H_****. **"YAYYYYYYYYYYY!" cried FIVE voices.

"Ut apened?!" asked Harry sounding worried.

"We're just really happy," said Sirius

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke. **"Ha ha, soooooooo funny," said Sirius.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. **"Not his best idea," said Remus.** He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

**Everyone else shrugged, and Harry looked at them all with a cute confused frown on his small face.**

**"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!" **"Can't he just keep quiet?" asked Lily

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

**"That's ****_mine_****!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

**"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge. **"Oh how nice," said Sirius

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. **"Help me, I'm dying, nooooooooooo!" cried Sirius falling over in a fake faint.

"Siwi our oo k?" asked a concerned Harry.

Sirius didn't move for a minute then he suddenly grabbed Harry and started tickling him. Harry smartly started tickling him back, and soon they were both laughing hysterically. After they finally quieted down James continued reading.

**"Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick. **"Good job Dumb-dud," said Sirius.

**"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

**"****_I _****want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's ****_mine_****."**

**"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

**"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted. **"Tell him Harry!" cried Sirius

"Ut?" asked a confused Harry.

"Not you Harry, a different Harry."

"Air ofer arry?"

"In the book."

**"Let ****_me _****see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, **"He could throw Dudley?!" asked Lily in shock.** slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor. **"You can hear better under the door than at the keyhole," said Sirius wisely.

"And you know this why?" asked Lily.

"It doesn't really matter does it?"

**"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

**"Watching — spying — might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

**"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —" **"And how would you sent your letter?" asked Lily, "I know you don't have an owl, and you know that's the only way to send mail to Hogwarts.

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer…Yes, that's best…we won't do anything…" **"That won't work," said Remus

**"But —"**

**"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?" **"Did he really think that would work?" asked Sirius

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

**"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

**"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," **"So someone wrote The Cupboard under the Stairs, by accident? I don't think so!" said Sirius. ** said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

**"It was ****_not _****a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

**"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful. **"I have seen that face," said Lily shuddering.

**"Er — yes, Harry — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking…you're really getting a bit big for it…we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom. **"What? Dudley can't fit in one bedroom so he needs two?" asked Lily

**"Why?" said Harry.**

**"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; **"A SMALL tank? He couldn't fit it a normal sized tank!" exclaimed Sirius.** in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. **"The poor rifle," said Sirius sadly.** Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched. **"Well since he probably can't read, of course he hasn't touched them," said Lily.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't ****_want _****him in there…I ****_need _****that room… **"No you don't." **make him get out…"**

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. **"Ha ha ha!" said Sirius** Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. **"Really? You think?"** Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. **"He knows that Harry would be smart enough to open it in the hall is time," said Sirius** They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one!'**

**Mr. H. Potter,**

**The Smallest Bedroom,**

**4 Privet Drive'"**

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. **"Woo Hoo, GO BOOK HARRY!" yelled Sirius.** After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. **"Darn it!"

**"Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley — go — just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan. **"I hope this is a Lily plan, not a James plan," said Sirius. James glared at him.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. **"Good, a Lily plan."** His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door —**

**"AAAAARRRGH!" **"WHAT!?" yelled four voices

"UT!?" yelled one voice

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something ****_alive_****! **"Not good," said Remus

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. **"I bet that hurt," said Sirius.** Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

**"I want —" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. **"Wow he could do that?" asked Sirius, "those letters don't tear easily."

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

**"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't ****_deliver _****them they'll just give up."**

**"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon." **"So she does have a brain?" asked Sirius.

**"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. **"He defiantly doesn't have a brain," said Sirius

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises. **"He just keeps getting stupider and stupider doesn't he?" asked Sirius

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs **"There must be magic at work," said Sirius.** that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor. **"Yum shredded letters," said Sirius

**"Who on earth wants to talk to ****_you _****this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

**"No post on Sundays," **"Sorry, but these letters aren't coming by Muggle post," said Lily, not sounding sorry at all.** he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today —"**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. **Sirius, Remus, and James all started laughing.** Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one — **"Why not pick one up off the floor?" asked Sirius.

**"Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.**

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

**"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing **"So now he's a beet with half a mustache… Creepy!" said James.

**that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag. **"How stupid is he?" asked Sirius

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

**"Shake 'em off…shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this. **"HE'S MAD!" yelled Sirius

"Really? Your just now realizing that?" asked Remus.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

**"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**_Mr. H. Potter_**

**_Room 17_**

**_Railview Hotel_**

**_Cokeworth_**

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. **"Come on lady think! Isn't that just a little bit suspicious?" asked Sirius.

**"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" **"Wait, he has a brain?!" asked Sirius, looking shocked.** Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, **"What good will that do? Cars lock from the inside so they could unlock it if they wanted to," said Sirius.

"True, but your forgetting that he's mad," said Lily** and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

**"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a ****_television_****."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it ****_was _****Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" yelled Sirius and James.** Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **"I can't believe what jerks they are," said Sirius.** Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

**"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there. **"Is he so concerned about Harry not getting him letters that he'll kill his family?" asked Sirius

**"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.**

**"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up. **"Umm… Duh…" said Sirius.

**"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. **"I bet that some letters could get through," said Remus.** Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket. **"I'm so going to kill them," said Lily forgetting that she had told Sirius not to.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, **"No they probably won't," said Lily** wondering where the letter writer was now. **"At Hogwarts," said Sirius.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds…twenty…ten…nine — maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him **"Yes, please do," said Sirius.**— three…two…one…**

**BOOM. **"WHAT?!" yelled four voices

"UT?!" yelled one voice

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in. **"And that's the end of the chapter," said James handing the book to Lily.

_Thanks for reading, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. If you see any errors please tell me : )_

_PurplePizzaPancake_

**_Xandra_**


	5. The Keeper Of The Keys

_Here's the next chapter. Everything in bold in NOT mine, I wish I could write something that good, but it belongs to J. K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy:)_

**THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS**

**BOOM. **"How many loud booms are there?" asked Remus.

"I think that was the last one," said Lily.

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

"**Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly. **"Yes, very stupidly," said James.

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

"**Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!" **"I don't think that will help," said Sirius.

**There was a pause. Then —**

**SMASH! **"UT APENIN?!" yelled Harry.

"I don't know," said James.

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. **"HAGRID!" yelled four voices happily.

"Ooh Agid?" asked Harry.

"A friend of ours," said James.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

"**Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

"**Budge up, yeh great lump," **Everyone laughed at this.** said the stranger.**

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

"**An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

"**Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes." **"I bet that's the first time anyone told him that," said Lily sadly.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

"**I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

"**Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room. **"To Hagrid it probably was made of rubber," said Sirius.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

"**Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right." **"That's just like him," said Remus.

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with ****_Happy Birthday Harry _****written on it in green icing. **"Yum," said Sirius

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?" **"Well JAMES, he's Hagrid, and…" Sirius shut up when we caught Lily's look.

**The giant chuckled.**

"**True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

"**What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath. **"Thank you Hagrid!" exclaimed James.

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley." **"I don't think he's planning on giving Dudud any," said Sirius.

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

"**Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful,**

**but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

"**Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course. **"No he doesn't," said James.

"**Er — no," said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

"**Sorry," Harry said quickly. **"I kept apologizing to people because I didn't know much about magic," said Lily.

"**_Sorry_****?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

"**All what?" asked Harry.**

"**ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

**"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"**

"I don't think Harry will like that," said Sirius.

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

"**I know ****_some _****things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About ****_our _****world, I mean. ****_Your _****world. ****_My _****world. ****_Yer parents' world_****."**

"**What world?"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"**DURSLEY!" he boomed. **"I would REALLY hate to be in the Dursley's place," said Sirius

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." **"Does he relies that mimble wimble is a spell?" asked Sirius.

"If we did he never would have said it," said James.

** Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

"**But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're ****_famous_****. **"We are?" asked James.

"Yes, remember? Said Severus, making everyone jump because they had forgotten he was there, "Your son killed the Dark Lord." **You're ****_famous_****."**

"**What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?" **"Thanks Harry," said James

"oor elcome," said Harry.

"**Yeh don' know…yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

"**Yeh don' know what yeh ****_are_****?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

"**Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!" **"That was a VERY bad idea," said Sirius.

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

"**You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

"**Kept ****_what _****from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. **"Not going to work," said Sirius.

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"**Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry — yer a wizard."**

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

"**I'm a ****_what_****?" gasped Harry. **"That was my reaction," said Lily.

"**A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter." **"YES! Finally!" yelled Sirius.

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to ****_Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. _****He pulled out the letter and read:**

**_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_**

**_Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_**

**_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_**

**_Dear Mr. Potter,_**

**_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._**

**_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._**

**_Yours sincerely,_**

**_Minerva McGonagall,_**

**_Deputy Headmistress_**

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?" **"Of course that's his first question," said Remus.

"**Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl — a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down **"How can he read it upside down?" asked Sirius.

"It's easier to read upside down for some reason," said James.** :**

**_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_**

**_Given Harry his letter._**

**_Taking him to buy his things tomorrow._**

**_Weather's horrible. Hope you're well._**

**_Hagrid_**

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

"**Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

"**He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted.**

"**I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

"**A what?" said Harry, interested.**

"**A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

"**We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"**You ****_knew_****?" said Harry. "You ****_knew _****I'm a — a wizard?" **"Yes they did, but they don't want you to be," said Lily quietly.

"**Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "****_Knew_****! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that ****_school _****— and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! **"HOW DARE YOU CALL MY WIFE A FREAK!" yelled James.

"That's ok dear, if she is a normal person, I want to be a freak," said Lily.

"True."

**But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!" **"It almost sounds as if she's jealous," said Sirius.

"She is," said Severus.

"Ok."

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"**Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —****_abnormal _****— and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!" **"Oh dear," said James.

"**CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!" **"Come on Hagrid, did you really think they would tell him?" asked Sirius.

"**But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

"**I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

"**Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**

"**Who?" **"He won't say," said Sirius.

""**Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

""**Why not?"**

"**Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went…bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…" **"I'll bet you six Galleons he won't say it," said Sirius, pulling out the Galleons.

"You're on," said James, as he and surprisingly Severus each placed six Galleons on the table.

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

"**Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

"**Nah — can't spell it. All right —****_Voldemort_****." **"YES!" yelled James, taking nine Galleons. Severus smirked at Sirius as he took the remaining Galleons.** Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, **Sirius glared at Severus.** 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches…terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway. **"Of course he didn't try taking the school with Dumbledore where," said James.

"**Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!**

**Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before…probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

"**Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em…maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —" **"I think we all know why he was there," said Sirius glaring at Severus. Lily seeing the look in Sirius' eyes quickly kept reading.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

"**Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa… **"Thanks Hagrid," said James.

"**You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts — an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh. **Severus shuddered.

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

"**Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…." **"That's one thing I can't forgive," said Lily.

"**Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

"**Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured. **"Lily, please tell him I can kill him," said Sirius.

"Sorry, no, I'm going to," said Lily.

— **and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —" **"I bet Hagrid doesn't like that," said James.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"**

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

"**That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

"**But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?" **"Finally, a good question!" exclaimed Sirius.

"**Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see…he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?**

"**Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. **"I don't think so ether," muttered Remus. ** Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. **"If he was to weak to have a form, he might be to weak to keep people from coming back," said Remus.

"**Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — ****_I _****dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

"**Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard." **"No, there is no way he could be a wizard, I mean he didn't make glass vanish, or talk to the snake, or grow him hair, or anything," said Sirius.

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

"**Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it…every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry…chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach…dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back…and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

"**See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

"**Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —" **"What do you care, it's not as if you'll be paying for it," said James.

"**If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled—"**

"**I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon. **"HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM!" yelled James.

"Ut ooing on?" asked Harry.

"Nothing," said Sirius, "Your Dad is just yelling at a book."

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"**

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers. **"YES! Go Hagrid," cried Sirius.

"Goo Agid!" yelled Harry giggling.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

"**Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

"**Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job." **"I'm sure it had nothing to do with it being Harry," said James.

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

"**Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

"**Why were you expelled?" **"He won't tell you," said Sirius.

"**It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

"**You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets." **"He always keeps the strangest thing in his pocket," said Sirius.

"That's the end of the chapter," said Lily handing the book to Severus.

"Siwi wiw o pay wif mee?" asked Harry.

"I guess," said Sirius, going to get Harry's Lego Duplo blocks.

_Thanks for reading:) If there is anything you don't like let me know. Ok I know they probably wouldn't have Legos, but I love Legos sooo... yah. If my spelling is really bad I'm sorry!_

_PurplePizzaPancake_

**_Xandra_**


	6. Diagon Alley

_Here's chapter six. EVERY THING IN BOLD IN NOT MINE! IT BELONGS TO J. K. ROWLING._

**DIAGON ALLEY **"Yay!" exclaimed James

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**_It was a dream, _****he told himself firmly. ****_I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard. _**"There are two problems with that," said Sirius.

"Please tell," said Lily.

"For one thing I'm not sure he could've had such an awesome dream, and second he couldn't see sunlight from the cupboard."

"Wow… Sirius you just said something logical," said Remus.

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

**_And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door_****, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

"**All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, **"I feel sorry for the sofa," said Sirius.** and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

"**Don't do that."**

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

"**Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl —"**

"**Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa. **"How was he to know?" asked Sirius.

"**What?"**

"**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing ****_but _****pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags…finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"**Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

"**Knuts?"**

"**The little bronze ones."**

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"**Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture. **"What happened?" asked James worriedly.

"**Um — Hagrid?"**

"**Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

"**I haven't got any money **"YES YOU DO!" yelled James. **— and you heard Uncle Vernon last night…he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

"**Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

"**But if their house was destroyed —" **"Yes, we keep our money in a piggy on the bed-side table," said Lily sarcastically.

"**They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

"**Wizards have ****_banks_****?" **"Why wouldn't we?" asked Remus.

"**Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

"**_Goblins_****?"**

"**Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see."**

"**Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

"**How did you get here?" **"MAGIC!" yelled James and Sirius.** Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

"**Flew," said Hagrid.**

"**_Flew_****?"**

"**Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, **"Not that I care, but I'm guessing the Dursleys didn't starve to death on the island… so how did they get back?" asked Sirius.

"That's a good question," said James.** Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

"**Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

"**Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. **"So was I," said Lily.** Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

"**Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.**

"**Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat." **"Stealing whatever wouldn't be the hard part," said Sirius.

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the ****_Daily Prophet_****. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, **"Hagrid wouldn't care," said James.** he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

"**Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

"**There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

"'**Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, **"He'd never take the job if they begged him," said Sirius.

"They did beg him," said James.** o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

"**But what does a Ministry of Magic ****_do_****?" **"Mess thing up," said Sirius, "Hagrid just said that."

"**Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

"**Why?"**

"**_Why? _****Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. **"And most people would be scared of us," said Lily.** Nah, we're best left alone."**

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?" **"Yup, if you think about it Muggles are very creative," said Lily.

"**Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are ****_dragons _****at Gringotts?"**

"**Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

"**You'd ****_like _****one?"**

"**Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent. **"He's still working on that?!" asked Sirius in shock.

"**Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

"**Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

**_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_**

**_UNIFORM_**

**_First-year students will require:_**

**_sets of plain work robes (black)_**

**_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_**

**_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_**

**_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_**

**_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_**

**_COURSE BOOKS_**

**_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_**

**_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk_**

**_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_**

**_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_**

**_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_**

**_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_**

**_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_**

**_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_**

**_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_**

**_OTHER EQUIPMENT_**

**_1 wand_**

**_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) _**"I wanted to get a gold one," said James.

**_1 set of glass or crystal phials_**

**_1 telescope set_**

**_1 brass scales_**

**_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_**

**_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS _**"I don't like that rule," said James.

"**Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.**

"**If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

"**I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. **"That's the hard part," said Sirius, "he walks so fast."

**They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? **"Has he met the Dursleys?!" asked Sirius. **If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

"**This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. **"Walnut don't usually have teeth, do they?" asked a confused Sirius.

"That, is a very good point," said Remus.

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

"**Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

"**Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be —?"**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

"**Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter…what an honor."**

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"**Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. **"Oh come on!" yelled Lily, "He's just a normal person."

"**Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

"**So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

"**Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."**

"**Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

"**I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

"**He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

"**Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

"**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I -am to meet you." **"I don't know why, but I d-d-don't t-think he c-c-can be t-t-trusted," said Sirius.

"You know I got that feeling too," said James. Remus nodded.

"**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

"**D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

"**Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

"**Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. **"Poor baby," said Lily sadly.** Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

"**Is he always that nervous?"**

"**Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

"**Three up…two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

"**Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

"**Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first." **"Come on Hagrid, let him look around some first," said James.

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…" **"Why are they mad?" asked Sirius.

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —" There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

"**Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

"**Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

**_Enter, stranger, but take heed_**

**_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_**

**_For those who take, but do not earn,_**

**_Must pay most dearly in their turn._**

**_So if you seek beneath our floors_**

**_A treasure that was never yours,_**

**_Thief, you have been warned, beware_**

**_Of finding more than treasure there._**

"**Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

"**Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."**

"**You have his key, sir?" **"I'm so glad goblins don't care if a wizard is famous," said Lily, "Imagine if all the goblins wanted to shake his hand."

Everyone nodded.

"**Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

"**Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

"**That seems to be in order."**

"**An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. **"Hagrid has always been too proud that Dumbledore trusts him," said Remus.** "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

"**Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

"**What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked. **"Of course he had to ask," said Lily.

"**Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

"**I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?" **"One has gm and one has ct," said Sirius, seriously.

"**Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. **"I don't think your money will fit in your piggy bank," said Sirius.

"**All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

"**The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?" **"There's only one speed," said Remus sadly.

"**One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole. **"Yup, because it's one if the higher security vaults," said Remus.

"**Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

"**If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

"**About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. **"You know it's actually more often than that," said Remus, "They just like scaring children."

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

"**Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid. **"That would be a very good idea," said Lily.

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. **"Hasn't changed at all," said James.

"**Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

"**Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?" **"Of course, if he wasn't going to Hogwarts he probably wouldn't be there," said Lily.

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"**My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." **"And the teachers will take in away from you, give you detention, and take away points," said Sirius.

"Did you try to sneak a broom in?" asked Lily accusingly.

"Maybe."

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

"**Have ****_you _****got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

"**No," said Harry.**

"**Play Quidditch at all?"**

"**No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

"**_I _****do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?" **"How to heck would he," asked James.

"**No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

"**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

"**Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

"**I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams **"I want ice cream," said Sirius longingly.** to show he couldn't come in.**

"**That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

"**Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?" **"No he's gamekeeper," said Sirius.

"**He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

"**Yes, exactly. **"Servant, and gamekeeper are completely different thing!" exclaimed Lily indignantly.** I heard he's a sort of ****_savage _****— lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

"**I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

"**_Do _****you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

"**They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

"**Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were ****_our _****kind, weren't they?"**

"**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

"**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. **"I'll bet that's a Malfoy," said Sirius.

"How much?" asked James.

"I'll bet four galleons he's a Malfoy," said Sirius putting the money on the table.

"I'll say he isn't," said James putting money on the table.

"I think he is," said Remus placing his money.

"Let's see," said Lily putting money on the table, "I'm going to say he is."

"I say he's a Malfoy," said Severus. **What's your surname, anyway?"**

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"**Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts). **"That's one of the best flavors," said Sirius forlornly.

"**What's up?" said Hagrid.**

"**Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

"**Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!" **"Are you trying to make him feel worse?" asked Sirius.

"**Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

"— **and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"**

"**Yer not ****_from _****a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh ****_were _****— he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

"**So what ****_is _****Quidditch?"**

"**It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules." **"I guess for someone who isn't into Quidditch it would be hard to explain," said Remus.

"**And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

"**School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"**

"**I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.**

"**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. **"Actually, that's not true," said Remus, "some didn't go to Hogwarts."** You-Know-Who was one."**

"**Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who **"Say his name," said Lily, "Fearing the name makes you fear the person more."** was at Hogwarts?"**

"**Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from ****_Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) _****by Professor Vindictus Viridian. **"I bet he wants to curse Dudley," said Lily. Seeing Sirius' look she quickly said, "I'm not betting money."

"**I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."**

"**I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, **"Seems we'll have a potions fan," said Lily. **a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

"**Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present." **"Thank you Hagrid!" exclaimed Lily and James.

**Harry felt himself go red.**

"**You don't have to —"**

"**I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. **"Hey! That sounds like my first owl," said Sirius.** He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

"**Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.**

**Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, **"Ollivander makes good wands, but he's really creepy!" exclaimed Sirius, everyone nodded.** and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand…this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.**

**A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. **"I've always wondered, whose wand is that?" asked Sirius.

"I don't think it has ever chosen someone," said Remus.

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

"**Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair. **"Oh, it'll be ok in a day or two," said Sirius, "it has a spell on it so that if it gets broken it repairs itself."

"You know this how?" asked James.

"I asked."

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

"**Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

"**Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes.**

**It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. **Everyone shuddered.

"**Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

"**And that's where…"**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"**I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands…well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…" **"If people had known what the wand or Voldemort was going to do, everything would be so much better," said Sirius.

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

"**Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again…Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

"**It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

"**Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

"**Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

"**But you don't ****_use _****them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply. **"He probably does," said James, "I think they're it his umbrella."

"**Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

"**Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

"**Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.**

"**Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. **"Why does he do all those weird measurements?" asked Lily.** As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. **"The closest to the same two wands can be is having twin cores," said Remus.** And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own.**

**Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

"**That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. **"No I don't think Beechwood is right," said Lily.** Just take it and give it a wave."**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

"**Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. **"To short," said James.** Try —"**

**Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

"**No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. **"Not ebony," said James.** Go on, go on, try it out."**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

"**Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." **"That's it!" exclaimed Lily.

"No it's not," said Sirius trying to make Lily bet.

"No, I don't want you to lose any more money."

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. **"See?" said Lily smiling.

**He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks** **shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well…how curious…how very curious…" **"Great…" said Sirius.

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious…curious…" **"What's curious?" asked James, and Sirius.

"**Sorry," said Harry, "but ****_what's _****curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

"**I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar." **"WHAT!?" yelled everyone.

"UT!?" yelled Harry.

"Nothing," said Lily.

**Harry swallowed.**

"**Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."**

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. **"I don't think anyone does," said James.

**He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

"**Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

"**You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid. **"Wouldn't you be quiet if you had found out you were a wizard, a famous wizard, your parents died protecting you from the darkest wizard in recorded history, he then tried to kill you, and failed, then you went shopping, and got a ward that has a twin core with the wand used to try to kill you?" asked Lily.

"What?" asked Sirius and James stupidly.

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life**

— **and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

"**Everyone thinks I'm special,"** **he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander…but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."**

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

"**Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."**

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, **"How will he get to King's Cross?" asked Lily. **then handed him an envelope.**

"**Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Harry."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone. **"That's the end of the chapter," said Severus handing the book to Lily.

Lily started reading.

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Sorry I took so long updating, I'll try to do better next chapter. Thanks for reading!  
PurplePizzaPancake_

**_Xandra_**


	7. TheJourneyFromPlatformNineAndT hreeQuart...

_Hey! I'm sorry it took me so long to update! NOTHING IN BOLD IS MINE! I wish it was, but it belongs to J. K. Rowling._

**THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE** **QUARTERS**

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. **"None of his months with the Dursleys were fun," said Sirius.** True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him — in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while. **"I guess that makes sense," said James.

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, **"I've always loved that name," said Lily.** a name he had found in ****_A History of Magic_****.**

**His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, **"Um… Yeah, the day before might be a good time to ask them," said Sirius.** so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room. **"Awesome!" exclaimed Sirius and James.

**"Er — Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

**"Thank you."**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**"Where is this school, anyway?"**

**"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

**"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared. **Severus muttered something that sounded like "Petunia...platform…acting...moron…"

**"Platform what?"**

**"Nine and three-quarters."**

**"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters." **"Um… yes there is, but you're a moron," said Sirius.

**"It's on my ticket."**

**"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

**"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

**"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings." **Everyone laughed at that.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. **"That's what happened to me!" exclaimed everyone except Harry.** He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes — he'd change on the train.**

**He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, **"How?!" asked James is shock.** and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

**"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all. **"Of course, we can't have all the Muggles finding it," said Remus.

**"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. **"I'm going to kill Petunia!" yelled Lily.** All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone. **"But there's no one to ask," said James.

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose.**

**Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. **"He had to get through," said Remus, seeing the look on James' face.

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten. **"And you would be thrown backwards," said Sirius.

"How do you know that?" asked Lily.

"I was curious."

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"— packed with Muggles, of course —" **"Good!" exclaimed James.

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. **"Do you think it's the Weasleys?" asked Lily.

"Yup," said James** Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him — and they had an ****_owl_****.**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

**"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

**"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go…"**

**"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

**"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

**"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you ****_tell _****I'm George?" **"George is Fred," muttered Sirius.

"What?" asked James.

"Nothing," said Sirius.

**"Sorry, George, dear."**

**"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it?**

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

**"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

**"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." **"At least she probably won't ask who, and where his parents are," said Lily.

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

**"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"**

**"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

**"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. **"It took me five tries to actually go through, I kept stopping before I ran into the wall," said Lily.** Go on, go now before Ron."**

**"Er — okay," said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash —**

**It didn't come…he kept on running…he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said ****_Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock_****. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words ****_Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _****on it, He had done it. **"I've always wondered can Muggles get through the barrier?" asked Sirius.

"Very rarely," said Lily.

"Rarely?"

"There is a spell that keeps Muggles from going through, but if the Muggles have magic children can usually get through."

"Alright.

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

**"Oh, ****_Neville_****," he heard the old woman sigh.**

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**"Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. **Lily shuddered.

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. **"OW!" exclaimed James, "That hurts."

"NO DUH!" yelled Sirius.

"Are you using Muggle phrases now?" asked Lily.

"Yup!"

**"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

**"Yes, please," Harry panted.**

**"Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar. **"Can't people freaking leave him alone?" asked Sirius.

**"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you —?"**

**"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"****_Harry Potter_****." chorused the twins.**

**"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am." ** Sirius fell on the floor laughing. "It's not that funny," said Lily.

"Yes it is," said Sirius after he had stopped laughing.

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

**"Fred? George? Are you there?"**

**"Coming, Mom."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. **"Little Harry is spying, doesn't he know how rude that is?" asked Sirius.

"You have NO room to take!" said Lily.** Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

**"Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

**"****_Mom_****— geroff" He wriggled free.**

**"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. **"I like them," said Sirius, "they seem like they could perform some good pranks."

**"Shut up," said Ron.**

**"Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

**"He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter ****_P _****on it.**

**"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —" **

**"Oh, are you a ****_prefect_****, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

**"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"**

**"Or twice —"**

**"A minute —"**

**"All summer —" **Remus and Sirius and Lily looked at James, but he was too busy playing with Harry. "Dey wook at oo!" said Harry giggling

James looked up and saw that everyone was looking at him, "What?!" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know, I just seem to remember someone going on and on about being hand boy," said Sirius.

"I don't know who you're talking about."

**"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

**"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

**"Because he's a ****_prefect_****," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —" **"Oh great, it sounds like they are pranksters," said Lily groaning.

**"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."**

**"It's ****_not funny_****. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

**"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

**"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" **"Great, just great," said Lily.

**"Who?"**

**"****_Harry Potter_****!"**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

**"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…" **"NO!"

**"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. **"THANK YOU!" yelled Lily.

"TANK OOOOO!" yelled Harry extremely loudly.** Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

**"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning."**

**"Poor ****_dear _****— no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" **"I hope not!" said Lily.

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

**"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

**"All right, keep your hair on." **"Sirius started laughing hysterically. Lily thought she heard something like, "hair… on… fall… off…"

"Well SIRIUS when you CALM DOWN we can keep READING!" said James.

**A whistle sounded.**

**"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

**"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."**

**"****_George!_****" **"It is her fault," said James.

**"Only joking, Mom."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to — but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full." **"Suurrreee…" said Sirius.

"Oh come on you would have done the exact same thing," said Lily.

"Do you really think that?"

"YES!" yelled everyone other than Harry.

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

**"Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.**

**"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."**

**"Right," mumbled Ron.**

**"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then." **"Again, something you would do," said Lily to Sirius.

**"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

**"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

**Harry nodded.**

**"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

**"So that's where You-Know-Who —?"**

**"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it." **"That's good!" exclaimed James.

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

**"Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

**"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

**"Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him." **"That's just rude!" said Lily indigently.

**"So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about. **"Nope, they are one of the nice wizarding families," said Remus.

**"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." **"I can see why he looked gloomy," said James, "I mean I would love to have a lot of brother, but I it must be horrible to never have new stuff."

"I do have brothers!" exclaimed Sirius and Remus.

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.**

**"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl.**

**After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

**"…and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"**

**Ron gasped.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"****_You said You-Know-Who's name!_****" **"GET OVER IT!" yelled Sirius.

"ET OVA IT!" yelled Harry.** said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed.**

**"I'd have thought you, of all people —"**

**"I'm not trying to be ****_brave _****or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn…I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class." **"You won't be," said Sirius.

**"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" **"Harry's going to buy some of everything," said James.

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars **"Mars Bars?" asked Sirius.

Lily got up and walked into the kitchen. When she came back she was holding five mars bars, she tossed one to each person, and sat down.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Sirius, "these are really good!"

"Muggles are very awesome sometimes," replied Lily.** as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. **"Wow, I paid nineteen Sickles my first time," said James.

"Yah, but that was for the three of us," said Sirius motioning towards himself, James, and Remus.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**"Hungry, are you?"**

**"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef." **"You can't blame her," said Lily, "if I had seven children I wouldn't be able to remember who liked what."

**"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"**

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us." **"You say seven, he says five, who's right?" asked Sirius.

"Molly has seven children, but Bill and Charlie have moved out. The book said that a few minutes ago."

"The book said it?"

"Shut up," said James, "you're not allowed to make fun of my wife."

**"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

**"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not ****_really _****frogs, are they?" **"I asked that too," said Lily.** He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

**"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

**"What?" **"Poor Harry," said Lily sadly.

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

**"So ****_this _****is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

**"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" **"Of course not!" yelled Sirius.** said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**_ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_**

**_CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS_**

**_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling. _**"So what of all that will be important?" asked Remus.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"It wouldn't have told us what was on the back of the card if it wasn't important."

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

**"He's gone!"**

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her…do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

**"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

**"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" **"OF COURSE NOT!" exclaimed Sirius, "There has to be magic to make the people move!"** Ron sounded amazed. ****_"Weird!"_**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.**

**"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they ****_mean _****every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. **"What's the worse flavor you've ever gotten," asked Sirius, "Mine was soap."

"Liver," said Remus.

"Centipede," said Severus.

"Toe nail," said James.

"Rotten egg," said Lily shuddering.** George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."**

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

**"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."**

**They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. **"Wow, he didn't get any of the really bad one," said Sirius.

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

**"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

**"He'll turn up," said Harry.**

**"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"**

**He left.**

**"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. **"That's very rude," said Lily.** Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

**"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, **Sirius, Remus and James all groaned loudly.** lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

**"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback. **"The spell's not going to work," said Sirius.

**"Er — all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

**"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." **"That's not even real," said Remus.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

**"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" **Lily read all of that very fast.

**She said all this very fast.**

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either. **"No, most people don't," said James, looking at Lily.

**"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

**"Harry Potter," said Harry.**

**"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in ****_Modern Magical History _****and ****_The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _****and ****_Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_****."**

**"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." **"I'm confused," said Sirius.

"You're always confused," replied James.

**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

**"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud." **"Of course," said James.

**"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

**"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw ****_would _****be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

**"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

**"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school. **"Lots of things, some people work for the ministry, some work with magic creatures, some become professors, some…" Sirius trailed off when he saw Lily looking at him.

**"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the ****_Daily Prophet_****, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

**Harry stared.**

**"Really? What happened to them?"**

**"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." **"Could he be?" asked Lily worried.

"No, didn't the book say that he's gone?" asked James.

"Yes, but we could have come back," said Remus, "because whatever the book says I can't believe that he just died."

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying. **"I agree," said James.

**"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

**"Er — I don't know any." Harry confessed.**

**"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley. **"What's his name, what's his name?" asked Sirius bouncing up and down.  
"I don't know yet," said Lily, "settle down before you break my sofa."

**"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" **"Nope," said Sirius.

**"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

**"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." **"NOO!" yelled James, at the same time Sirius yelled YES!" and started jumping up and down like a little kid. Remus stared at James who had fallen off the sofa and was lying on the floor as if dead. Severus and Lily smirked at each other, and collected their money.

"If everyone if finished acting like children I think I'll keep reading," said Lily over Sirius's "I WAS RIGHT!" chant.

After about five minutes everyone have calmed down enough to continue reading.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, **"Don't trust him!" yelled Sirius, "He's from one of those stupid pure blood families!"

"So, are you saying we shouldn't trust you?" asked James.

"What?! No I don't like my pure blood family!"** but Harry didn't take it.**

**"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly. **"YES!"

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

**"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

**"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

**"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

**"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron. **"You could beat them!" exclaimed Sirius and James.

"I hope we never have to find out," said Lily.

**"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell. **"WHAT HAPPENED!" yelled Sirius

"IF YOU WOULD LET ME READ WE WOULD FIND OUT!" yelled Lily louder than Sirius.

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle — Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**"What ****_has _****been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

**"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep." **"Rats can fall asleep very fast," said Remus.

"Yep, even rat that aren't rat except when they are," said Sirius.

"Exactly," said James.

**And so he had.**

**"You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. **Severus almost laughed, Sirius and James did laughed.** My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

**"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" **"What does she care?" asked Sirius.

**"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

**"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"**

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. **"Really? I guess the conductor learned how to slow down before stopping," said James, "remember how the train always jerked when it stopped?"

"YES! WE ALL KNOW THAT THE TRAIN MADE YOU SPILL YOUR PUMPKIN JUICE ON LILY!" yelled Sirius before James could say anything else.

"I don't know WHAT you're yelling about," said James in a hurt tone.

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets **"Their pockets probably stuck out about five inches," said Sirius laughing.

"No because they ate most of the candy," said James.** and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" **"I'm glad someone cares about Harry, and not his famousness," said Lily.

"Is famousness a word?" asked Sirius.

"YES!" yelled Remus and Lily.

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

**"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!" **"I love Hogwarts," said Lily with a sigh.

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

**"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione. **"Ha HA," exclaimed Sirius, "take that Ron!"

**"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

**"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads **"Really?! That must be a first," said Remus, "all the kids bending their heads."** and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

**"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. **"That's the end," said Lily handing the book to James.

"Dada I hugwe!" exclaimed Harry.

James looked at him watch, "No wonder," He said, "it's past lunch time."

"Let's take a break for lunch, and then keep reading," said Lily.

-TEN MINUTES LATER-

Everyone filed back into the living room and sat down.

"I'm going to be put Harry down for his nap," said James picking Harry up from Sirius's lap.

"NOOOO!" yelled Harry, "I unt Siwi o put me own or ap!"

"OK!" exclaimed Sirius Jumping up.

When Sirius came back from putting Harry in bed Remus picked up the book and started reading.

_Thanks for reading! _

PurplePizzaPancake

_**Xandra**_


	8. The Sorting Hat

_Sorry it took me so long to update!_

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. **"Very true," said Sirius and James at the same time.

**"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

**"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. **"I love Hogwarts," muttered Lily.

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

**"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your house. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.**

**"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history **"Not Slytherin," muttered Sirius shooting a glare at Severus.** and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. **"Not always," said James with a grin, Sirius started giggling.

"Do I even what to know?" asked Lily.

"Well this one time we wen-" started Sirius

"I don't really want to know."** At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.**

**"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. **Sirius started giggling,

"Ha ha" said James dryly

**"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

**"How exactly do they sort us into house?" he asked Ron.**

**"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, **"And you really believed him?" asked James in shock.** but I think he was joking." **"Obviously not," replied Sirius.

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. **'None of them," yelled Sirius.** Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. **Giggles came from one person in the room.** He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.**

**Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air -several people behind him screamed.**

**"What the -?" **"I'll bet it's those dumb ghosts," said James frowning, "They should try harder for to scare people."

"If they had scared someone you disliked you would have been all happy," said Lily.

"True."

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -" **"Peeves, as I assume they are talking about, has had way more than two chances," said Lily.

**"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?" **"I don't know! Maybe they just wanted to stand in a room off to the side of the Great Hall!" exclaimed Sirius, earning a warning look from Lily.

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

**Nobody answered.**

**"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them, "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" **"No! They were just abou-" Sirius decided he should shut up when he saw Lily's look.

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know." **"We do know," said Sirius, "of course some of the Muggle born don't even know what the houses are."

**"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first year, and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. **Lily sighed.** It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they come to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. **"I didn't really believe that until it rained the first time," said Lily.

"But we had been there like three months!" exclaimed Sirius it shock.

"So?"** I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."**

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. **"See? He agrees with me!" exclaimed Lily smiling.

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, **Sirius looked confused, "Muggle magic trick," said James trying not to laugh at Sirius' expression.

"I knew that!" yelled Sirius indignantly.** Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing: **"That must have been a shock for a lot of the kids," said Lily.

**_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_**

**_But don't judge on what you see,_**

**_I'll eat myself _**"That would be very hard," said Sirius.**_ if you can find_**

**_A smarter hat than me._**

**_You can keep your bowlers black,_**

**_Your top hats sleek and tall,_**

**_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_**

**_And I can cap them all._**

**_There's nothing hidden in your head_**

**_The Sorting Hat can't see,_**

**_So try me on and I will tell you_**

**_Where you ought to be._**

**_You might belong in Gryffindor, _**"Yup!" exclaimed Sirius.

**_Where dwell the brave at heart,_**

**_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_**

**_Set Gryffindor apart;_**

**_You might belong in Hufflepuff, _**"Hufflepuffs are fine," said James thoughtfully.

**_Where they are just and loyal,_**

**_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_**

**_And unafraid of toil; _**

**_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _**"He'd do good in Ravenclaw," said Remus, interrupting himself reading.

**_If you've a ready mind, _**

**_Where those of wit and learning, _**

**_Will always find their kind; _**

**_Or perhaps in Slytherin _**"I'd be fine if he was in Slytherin," said Lily, earning glares from James and Sirius, and a small smile from Severus.

**_You'll make your real friends, _**

**_Those cunning folk use any means _**

**_To achieve their end. _**

**_So put me on! Don't be afraid! _**

**_And don't get in a flap! _**

**_You're in safe hands _**"I bet he still doesn't have hands," said Sirius.**_ (though I have none) _**

**_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_**

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. **

**"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." **"Fred obviously lies, I don't see why Ron still believes him," said Sirius, as if he knew Ron and Fred.

**Harry smiles weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him. **Severus muttered something incoherent like, "I'd be… wish... bad….. **Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. **

**"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!" **

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbles out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause - **

**"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. **

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her. **"Just as long as she doesn't sit next to him," said Lily shuddering.

"What have you got against the Fat Friar?" asked Sirius.

"Nothing, but when you're new sitting next to one of the ghosts is scary,"

**"Bones, Susan!" **

**"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah. **

**"Boot, Terry!" **

**"RAVENCLAW!" **

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. **

**"Brocklehurst, Mandy" want to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling. **

**"Bulsrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. **"They all do!" exclaimed Sirius.

"SOME, not ALL!" yelled Lily, "NOT all Slytherins are horrible people!"

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been the last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him. **"I am going to KILL him!" yelled James.

**"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

**"Granger, Hermione!"**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

**"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. **"Won't Ron be so happy?" said Sirius sarcastically.** Ron groaned. **"HA-HA!"

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all?" **"That could never happen," said Lily, "If you have enough magic to get a Hogwarts letter you have enough magic to be sorted."** What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it odd his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, **Sirius started laughing.

"Remember the kid in our year that did that?" asked Lily innocently.

Sirius stopped laughing, "No…" he said.

"Ha, because it was you!" exclaimed James smirking.

"Well you're the one who asked if you could take a plate up to your room, and keep it forever."

"Shut up!" yelled Remus, "I want to find out what happens in the book, but I can't if y'all keep yelling!"** and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."**

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" **"No DUH!" yelled Sirius, turning to Remus, "Sorry."

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Google, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now.**

**"Moon" . . . , "Not" . . . , "Parkinson" . . . , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" . . . , then "Perks, Sally-Anne" . . . , and then, at last —**

**"Potter, Harry!"**

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires All over the hall. **"Great," sighed Lily, "just great."

**"****_Potter, _****did she say?"**

**"****_The _****Harry Potter?" **"If only he could say no," sighed James.

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

**"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. . . . So where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, ****_Not Slytherin, not Slytherin. _**"See he has a brain," said Sirius to Lily, "he doesn't want to be in Slytherin."

**"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that **"WHAT?!" yelled Sirius VERY loudly.** — no? Well, if you're sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!" **"YES!" yelled Sirius and James, Lily and Remus just smiled widely. Even Severus gave a small smile, _James and Lily's son should be in Gryffindor, not Slytherin, _he though.

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly notices that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got on and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled "We got Potted! **"Potted?" asked Sirius.

"Um… no, does say Potter," said Remus grinning sheepishly.

"Ha-ha, they got potted," giggled Sirius under his breath.** We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. **"How does he know Dumbledore?" asked Sirius," He's never met him."

Lily and Remus rolled their eyes.** Harry recognizes him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. **"OOHH… I knew that!"** Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous hound man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"**

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

**"Well done, Ron, excellent," Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. **"So was that three people not including Ron, or does whoever wrote this not know how to count?" asked Sirius.

"I'm not sure…" answered James.** Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago. **"They were!" exclaimed James and Sirius.

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. **"That's because it's true," said Lily with a smile.

**"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! **Lily smiled.

**"Thank you!"**

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. **"Laughing is fine," said Lily, "he won't care."

**"Is he — a bit mad?" **"Yup!" exclaimed Sirius, "if you ask him he'll say that he is."** he asked Percy uncertainly.**

**"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?" **"Wow, that was an awkward subject change," said Sirius.

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, **Sirius started drooling.** roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon **Sirius was staring at the book, as if he could bring all the food out of it with his gaze.** and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, **Sirius was drooling even more.** ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. **Sirius made a strange face and stopped drooling.

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he likes. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.** "Oh course it was delicious, the food at Hogwarts is ALWAYS delicious!" yelled Sirius.

**"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.**

**"Can't you —?" **"Really? He doesn't even know that ghosts can't eat?" asked Sirius

**"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

**"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you — you're Nearly Headless Nick!" **"He doesn't like being called that," said James.

**"I would ****_prefer _****you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy —" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

**"****_Nearly _****Headless? How can you be ****_nearly _****headless?" **"Easily," grinned Sirius.

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. **"He loves showing off his nearly headless head," said Sirius.

**"Like ****_this_****," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, **"See?"** Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto him neck, coughed, and said, "So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! **"WHAT?!" yelled Sirius and James, Sirius glared at Severus as if it was his fault.** The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable **"He's always unbearable," said Lily shuddering.** — he's the Slytherin ghost."**

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with sliver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangement. **"Now Harry," said Sirius in a mock serious voice, "that's very rude of you. You should always…" Sirius keep talking but no sound came out due to the hex Lily had just placed on him.

**"How'd he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

**"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the dessert appeared. **"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Sirius, sounding very much like a wounded dog, at the thought of Hogwarts dessert.** Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding… **"Lily," asked Sirius, "do you have dessert?"

"Yes I do," said Lily smiling.

"Can I have some? Pllleeeaaassseeeeeeee," said Sirius with has best puppy dog look.

"Fine," Lily sighed, "go look in the kitchen, you should find something."

When Sirius FINALLY returned Remus continued reading.

**As Harry helped himself to treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

**"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell she was a witch 'til after they were married. **"That's never a good idea," said Lily.** Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

**The others laughed.**

**"What about you, Neville?" **"His parents are Witch and Wizard," said Lily smiling, "his parent are some of the best people I've ever met."** asked Ron.**

**"Well, my gran brought me up **"What about Frank and Alice?" asked Lily in confusion.

"I don't know," said James.** and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, **"That's horrible!" exclaimed Lily.** I nearly drowned — but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. **"Accidently let go!" yelled Lily looking murderers.** But I bounced — all the way down garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me a toad."**

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lesson ("I ****_do_**** hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, **"I think everyone knows what Transfiguration is," said Sirius.** of course, it's supposed to be very difficult **"It's not as hard as some people make it out to be," said James.**—"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing —").**

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. **"I wonder who that is," said Sirius having no clue who it was.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on forehead. **"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!" yelled James VERY loudly.

**"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

**"What is it?" asked Percy.**

**"N-nothing." **"That was not nothing," said Lily.

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

**"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.**

**"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. **Everyone turned to stare at Severus, "Is that you or is there someone else with that name?" asked Sirius.

"I don't have any relatives, but there could be someone with my last name," said Severus. ** He teaches Potions, but he want to - everyone knows after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about dark Arts, Snape." **"Definitely you," said Sirius.

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

**"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.**

**"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older student would do well to remember that as well." **"They never had to tell us that," said Sirius, "We stayed out of the forest."

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

**"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. **"Ha ha, everyone always follows that rule," said James.

**"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house should contact Madam Hooch. **"Not anyone, Harry can't tryout," said James sadly.

**"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds for everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

**"He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy. **"Yes he is, but you can laugh," said Sirius.

**"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." **"Does he really think that being a prefect will make Dumbledore tell him everything?" asked Lily laughing.

**"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. **"The school song is awesome!" yelled Sirius.

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the table and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

**"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:**

**"****_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_**

**_Teach us something please,_**

**_Whether we be old and bald_**

**_Or young with scabby knee,_**

**_Our heads could do with filling_**

**_With some interesting stuff,_**

**_For now they're bare and full of air,_**

**_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_**

**_So teach us things worth knowing,_**

**_Bring back what we've forgot,_**

**_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_**

**_And learn until our brains all rot_****."**

**Everybody finished the song at different time. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. **"We did that!" yelled Sirius.

"Yes we did," said James smiling.

**Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

**"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"**

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, **"Why would that be surprising?" asked Sirius.

"He didn't know that people in pictures moved until today," said James.** or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him. **"Peeves," said James.

**"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

**"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" **"That's the only way to handle him," said Sirius.

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. **"He is evil!" exclaimed Lily.** "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

**"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. **"Ouch," said Sirius rubbing with head, (Peeves had dropped walking sticks on him head more than once. **They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.**

**"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are." **"Nice quick topic change," said Sirius.

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

**"Password?" she asked.**

**"Caput Draconis," **"Dragon's head," said Lily.

"Where's a dragon head?" asked Sirius looking around wildly

"The password, Caput Draconis, it's Latin for Dragon's head," said Remus.** said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.**

**"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."**

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once. **"I think that happens to everyone the first night," said James.

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it - then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green light **Severus looked confused, and not a little worried."Did you just turn into Voldemort in my son's dream?" asked Lily.

"It kind of sounded like it," said Severus looking worriedly at James and Sirius.

Lily seeing James and Sirius' look said loudly, "No one is going to get hurt, until we have read all of the books! We need to wait, so that we don't kill anyone important."

"But-"

"Sirius shut up!" yelled Remus, "We are going to finish these books before we do anything stupid!"** and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.** **He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't' remember the dream at all. **"That's the end of the chapter," said Remus putting down the book, and standing up "Sirius, James let's go for a walk."

Sirius looked confused, but followed Remus. James looked worriedly at Lily, who nodded for him to follow Remus and Sirius.

_Again, sorry about my slow updating, I'll try to be quicker with the next update. The next chapter might not be a reading the book chapter, but I haven't decided yet. If you're an Underland Chronicles fan please check out my other story._

_Thanks for reading!_

**_PurplePizzaPancake 3_**

_**So Cloco decided that she's not going to do all the chapters of all the books, so if you have chapters you want to see let me know. She's already decided the chapters from the first book that she's doing, so don't sugest any chapter from it. Thanks!**_

_**Xandra**_


	9. Much Needed Talks

**_Here's the next chapter. They aren't reading the books in this chapter. Anything you recognize isn't mine, it belongs to J.K. Rowling._**

James, Remus, and Sirius walked quietly down the lane. After a few minutes James suddenly turned and glared at Sirius. "I don't know why you hate Snape so much but if you can't get over it you're going to have to leave."

'What? You would make me leave but you wouldn't make Snape leave?" asked Sirius his voice raising.

"Stop acting like a little kid. And yes, if you keep acting like this, I will make you leave. We are talking about our LIVES, and all you can think about is some stupid childhood grudge!"

"YOU TREATED HIM JUST AS BADLY AS I DID!" yelled Sirius, "YOU HATE HIM JUST AS MUCH AS I DO!"

"Keep your voice down, we have neighbors," said James calmly. "I don't hate him, because there's no reason for me to hate him, but yes I treated him just as badly as you did. I was a stupid teenager, I thought it was cool, and funny to bully him, but it really wasn't. It was mean and cruel, and we should never have done any of the things we did."

"BUT HE'S..." Sirius started, but Remus cut him off.

"If you're about to say he's a Death Eater, yes he was, but now he's a spy for Dumbledore, or do you not trust Dumbledore either?" Remus pulled Sirius to a stop and stared into his eyes. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"HE WAS JUST ANOTHER REASON FOR MY PERENTS TO HATE ME," yelled Sirius, "HE WAS A HALF-BLOOD, BUT HE WAS A BETTER BLOOD PUREST THAN I WAS! MY PARENTS WHERE DISAPPOINTED IN ME BECAUSE A HALF-BLOOD CARED MORE ABOUT BLOOD PURITY THAN ME, A PURE-BLOOD!"

"WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? YOU'VE NEVER CARED ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE THEY'VE THOUGHT!" yelled James

"YOU'RE RIGHT I WOULDN'T CARE, BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM!"

"YOU ALWAYS TOLD US THAT IT WASN'T THAT BAD LIVING WITH THEM! YOU SAID YOU ENJOYED THEM IGNORING YOU!"

"OF COURSE I SAID THAT! WOULD YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO TELL ANYONE HOW MUCH I HATED LIVING WITH MY FAMILY?"

"James, Sirius," Remus said worriedly, looking around.

"YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US! WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS, WE CARE ABOUT YOU!"

"YEAH SURE, LIKE IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALL THE TALK AT HOGWARTS, HOW SIRIUS BLACK'S PARENTS TREAT HIM LIKE SCUM. HOW THEY SCREAM AT HIM, AND THREATEN HIM, HOW EVERYDAY THEY MAKE SURE HE KNOW THAT HE IS A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THEM AND THE WHOLE BLACK FAMILY!"

"Guys..." said Remus, not even listening to their conversation, instead looking around them.

"YOU REALLY THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TOLD THE SCHOOL ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE LIFE?"

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD HAVE, ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS FAME, AND MAKING LILY LOVE YOU!"

"YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE SACRIFICED MY BEST FRIEND FOR FAME?"

"GUYS!" roared Remus.

"WHAT?!" yelled James and Sirius, turning to stare at him.

"Look around us," said Remus in a slightly worried voice.

James and Sirius both turned around in slow circles, and saw the men, in black cloaks and masks, who had formed a circle around them. "Shit."

At the Potter's house

"Why do you hate James and Sirius so much?" asked Lily, "I know that they always bullied you, but you're hatred seems to go farther back than Hogwarts."

"I hated Black because he was a pure-blood, but from the way he acted you would have never guessed it. He had the kind of family I wanted, I never wanted a Muggle father, but he didn't care anything about what they thought," said Severus, a little bit ashamed, "I thought the only way to really be accepted into the magic world was to be pure-blood. Then I met you. You quickly accepted me, as a wizard, and as a friend. I stopped thinking that I had to be a pure-blood. Then when we went to Hogwarts, and I was put into Slytherin, they started pounding into my head that Muggle-borns and half-bloods were inferior to everyone else. Usually the half-bloods were accepted, because most, like me, hated there Muggle parent. Of course I hated my father, not really because he was a Muggle but because he hated me, but I sure as hell wasn't going to tell anyone that."

"If you always wanted to be a pure-blood, a true Slytherin if you will, why were you friends with me?" asked Lily quietly, already knowing what Severus would probably say.

"When I first met you I just wanted a real friend. I actually had some friends in the Muggle village, but they didn't trust me, they knew there was something "odd" about me. I didn't think that our friendship would last after we went to Hogwarts, because I hoped to be in Slytherin and I knew that you probably wouldn't be put there with me. But after we were sorted, you still talked to me, you stayed my friend."

"Why didn't you break off our friendship in our third year when you started to act like a pure-blood supremacists?" asked Lily trying to keep all emotion out of her voice. "It would have saved both of us a lot of pain."

Severus dropped his head into his heads and muttered, "Because I loved you," then looking up at her, "That's the only reason I hated Potter, he loved you, and I knew that in the end he would probably be the one whose love you returned. I always knew that you would end up with him, but I couldn't let you go, I guess I loved you too much. Calling you a Mudblood was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"Severus..." Lily started, but Severus interrupted her.

"Before you say anything, let me tell you the truth. I love you, I always will, but over the years my love has changed, I love you like family. When you started dating Potter I felt hatred towards him, but I began to realize that I didn't hate him because I was jealous, I hated him because I was worried that he would hurt you. I haven't seen you since we finished school, but I've been keeping close watch on you and Potter this whole time. Making sure Potter doesn't hurt you."

"James would never hurt me, or if he did it would not have been intentional."

"I believe you; he loves you more than I ever did. I love you, but now after all these year I realize that you could only ever be my sister."

"Well then Severus Snape, I believe I finally have a brother. And I couldn't have asked for a bette..." Lily was interrupted by the front door slamming open and Remus staggering in, severely injured, "Death Eaters... James... Sirius... Square... explosion... fighting..." Remus managed to mumble before passing out.

**_CLIFFY! I'm sorry but I had to! Sorry it took me a while to update, I'll try to be quicker next time! Don't worry, I'm not going to kill any main characters, I promise! THIS IS UNEDITED!_**

**_PurplePizzaPancake_**

**_Xandra_**


	10. Contest time!

Hey guys!

I've decided that I was to have a contest. You can make a banner, video, music soundtrack, or drawing. Basically anything that has something to do with this story or Undivided (my other Harry Potter story) as long is it's NOT a story/one-shot. If a lot of people tell me that they want a story or one-shot contest I might do one, but for now I'm not going to. So far I have three prizes but depending on the amount of people who enter I might add more. The prizes that y'all will be trying to win are,

**Third place**: I'll send out and message to me followers, and post in five of my authors notes, that people should check out your stories.

**Second place**: You will get a minor character in either this story or Undivided.

**First place**: You will get an important character in Undivided. The character might not appear for a while because of how the story is going to flow :)

The deadline is the thirtieth of August. I might extend the deadline if a lot of people need me to. You can pm or e-mail me your entries. Everyone can enter twice. If you e-mail me your entry please include a link to your wattpad profile so that I can find you easily. My e-mail is clocopurplepotter . And yes my last name is Potter... Crazy right?!

I'm really sorry that I haven't updated. I know that y'all probably hate me for leaving it on that cliffhanger... But I promise that I am working on the next chapter. I've been having trouble writing one of the scenes but I think I've almost got it!

Love y'all (in a completely nonwierd way!) 3

Oh, and I need a cover for Undivided so if any of y'all make covers please let me know!

_**Purplepizzapancake**_

_**Xandra**_


	11. Whaaaa! (KA-BOOM)

**_Hey guys! Thanks for all the comments!_**

**_Ribisan, I'll let Cloco know that you like it:)_**

**_Guest, I know! He's so adorable! _**

**_PurpleBullet, It might and it might not._**

**_LM Ryder, (chapter 1) I agree! (chapter 2) haha I felt bad for him:( (chapter 3) I'm glad you're enjoying it so much_****_! I'll let Cloco know. (chapter 5) That's what I thought:) (chapter 7) Cloco is trying, but it's hard for her to find time to type out the book chapter. I'm Siriusly glad you're enjoying it! (chapter 9) I know! She's mean! I like how Remus us an afterthought;)_**

**_Harryhermionealways, I know! I want a baby Harry!_**

Lily jumped up and rushed to Remus' side and started preforming diagnostic spells on him, while Severus ran to the door.

"Lily, you stay here and watch Lupin, I'll go see what's going on," Severus said, and then asked, "Is he okay?

Lily nodded from where she was kneeling by Remus, "hurry," she said in a strangled voice.

Severus nodded before running out the door towards the square. On reaching the square he saw Sirius and James hiding behind a fallen statue, shooting off spells at any Death Eater that got close to them.

"What's going on here?" he asked loudly, causing the Death Eaters to turn and look at him.

"We…" "I.." "Saw…" "Potter's…" "Find…" "Dark Lord.." could be heard as all the Death Eaters started talking at once.

"I told you!" could be heard from behind the statue.

"You blundering idiots ruined my mission! I found a way to gain Lily Potter's trust, and had very nearly found out where they were living. But then you spot these blood traitors and you had to attack then!" Severus said in a cold voice.

"But we thought if we could capture them the Dark Lord would be pleased with us," said one of the Death Eaters.

"And indeed he would have been, if you had succeeded. But you seem to have had no plan, or any idea of how to capture them."

"We were doing a fine job, until you showed up."

"Really? Then tell me, where is the half-breed?"

"He's…. he's…." said the Death Eater, looking around, as if just realizing that there were only two people hiding behind the statue

"Exactly. He is currently lying on the floor of the blood traitor Black's house." James and Sirius looked at each other in confusion. "How did he get there, if you were doing such a good job of capturing him?"

"I.. We…" stuttered the Death Eater.

"This is like my fifth-year Christmas break all over again," said Severus looking straight at James.

"What is he talking about?" asked Sirius.

James' eyes went wide, "Get down!" we whispered to Sirius, shoving him down, and casting a spell over them.*

"What?!" asked the Death Eater in confusion.

Severus let out a laugh when he saw the Death Eater's expression, "You'll see," he said pulling out his wand.

"What are you doing?" asked the Death Eater.

"I'm cleaning up this mess you made," said Severus, seeing a slight ripple in the air over James and Sirius, and casting several silent spells. Suddenly there was a huge explosion of blinding blue light. When the light faded all the Death Eaters lay on the ground, but other than that nothing seemed changed. Severus quickly walked over to the statue as James and Sirius slowly stood up.

"You saved our lives," said James, at the same time that Sirius asked, "What happened Christmas break of our fifth-year?"

"I believe we're even now," said Severus looking at James.

"I didn't save your life so that you would owe me a debt, I saved your life because it was the right thing to do."

"Fifth-year?"

"I know, but I still owed you a debt."

"No you didn't."

"Still here,"

"Is Remus okay?"

"He was unconscious when I left, but he seemed stable. Also, I know that werewolves aren't half-breeds. The only reason I said that is because it would have been suspicious if I hadn't called him that."

"I understand."

"Fifth-year?"

James looked at Severus and winked. "So why did you say that Remus was at Sirius' house?"

"I figured that it wouldn't have been a good idea for them to know that I had been to your house."

"That makes sense. Also, since we are probably going to be seeing a lot of each other call me James."

"Alright, I suposse you can call me Severus."

"You have to call me Lord Black of the Noble Bloodtraitorness," said Sirius.

They finally reached the house. As soon as James opened the door Lily came running "JAMES!" she yelled grabbing him in a hug, "You're okay!"

"All thanks to Severus," said James.

"It was nothing, I just did the right thing," said Severus looking embarrassed.

"Thank you Sev," said Lily smiling at him.

"How's Remus?" asked Sirius.

"He'll be okay," said Lily leading them into the living room. Remus was lying on the sofa looking rather tired.

When we saw James and Sirius he sat up and smiled. "I'm glad you two are okay!" he exclaimed.

"Yup, Severus saved us," said James.

"That's good."

"What happened Christmas break of fifth-year?" asked Sirius.

"That's what you did?" asked Remus looking at Severus in surprise.

"It was all I could think of to do," said Severus.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Lily.

"HE DID IT!" yelled James pointing at Severus.

"JUST TELL THE FREAKING STORY!" yelled Sirius.

"Well it all started with..."

**AND DONE! Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I was going to update yesterday I was just about to click the publish button and my compute undated -_- I lost about a forth of the chapter. I WAS SO FREAKIN MAD! But I told my madness to go away because I know y'all are waiting on my so here you go. This chapter isn't as good it was before but oh well...**

**Quote of the day from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. "Probably that you're going to be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something,"**

**With love,**

**_PurplePizzaPancake_**

_**Xandra**_


	12. New Contest

Okay peeps...

NO ONE entered my contest soooooo I'm trying something else. Write a one-shot about one of the topics listed bellow. You can enter up to three times but ONLY if each are for a different topic. For prize information check the chapter "contest time!".  
The optional topics are:  
1) A one-shot about James, Sirius, and Peter confronting Remus about his furry little problem.  
2) A one-shot about Lily and Severus meeting.  
3) A one-shot about James and Lily's wedding.  
4) A one-shot about Sirius OR Remus with baby Harry  
5) A one-shot about Severus finding the books  
6) A one-shot about Sirius running into the Dursleys.

Remember, you don't have to write about all of the topics. You only HAVE to write about ONE but you can write about up to THREE. You can only get one prize but the more you write the more chance of winning a prize.

The deadline is November 3rd. I'm giving y'all two weeks. If you NEED more time you can PM or email me. You have to include why you can't submit in the time frame. Even if you just forgot I MIGHT give you an extension.

I think that's all for now :)

_**Purplepizzapancake**_

P.S. I'll try to update sometime soon but I've had a lot of schoolwork so I can't always write.

_**Cloco would really like if SOMEONE (ANYONE) would enter her contest.**_

_**Xandra**_


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